Monthly Review

Review of Kremlin Policy in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region

2021 / 01 / 01

Publication: N24 / Review period: December 1-31, 2020

Overview of the Kremlin Policy in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region is being prepared within the framework of the project - Roadmap to Kremlin's Policy in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region. The purpose of the publication is to review important developments related to Russia’s policy in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region. The review is a monthly publication and will be useful for everyone – decision-makers, public employees, media representatives and other people who are interested in the Kremlin policy in the occupied regions of Georgia.

December 2020 Main Events in Brief:                                                                                                  

  • Government officials:  A new representative of the Russian Federal Security Service was appointed in Abkhazia.
  • Meeting with government officials:  During his visit to Russia, the de facto president of Abkhazia, Aslan Bzhania, met with several Russian officials.
  • Military exercises:  The beginning of a new academic year was celebrated at the 7th military base in Abkhazia.
  • Cooperation in the field of the economy:  Moscow and Tskhinvali jointly control the movement of goods across the de facto border.
  • Cooperation in the field of agriculture:  A record number of Abkhazian tangerines was exported to Russia.
  • Cooperation in the field of healthcare:  The Russian multidisciplinary mobile hospital in Tskhinvali completed its work.
  • Cooperation in the field of education:  The de facto Minister of Education and Language Policy of Abkhazia signed an agreement on cooperation with the Director of the Belgorod State Technological University.
  • Cooperation in various fields:  Russia will assist Abkhazia in introducing digital broadcasting.
  • “Soft power:”  The Rossotrudnichestvo office in the Tskhinvali region handed over textbooks to the de facto Ministry of Education.

Government Officials

On December 7, 2020, a representative of the Russian Federal Security Service in Abkhazia, the Colonel Alexander Oparin, met with the de facto President of Abkhazia, Aslan Bzhania. This was Oparin’s last working meeting. He will be replaced by the Colonel Alexander Sobol who, at the same time, is an adviser to the Diplomatic Mission of the Russian de facto embassy in Abkhazia.

Meeting with Government Officials

On December 11, 2020, the de facto President of Abkhazia, Aslan Bzhania, paid another working visit to Russia. Unlike his previous visits to Russia, this visit was particularly busy and ended on 19 December. During the visit, Bzhania met with several representatives of the Russian government. The main purpose of the meetings was to discuss issues related to the implementation of the November 12 agreement reached in Sochi between Bzhania and the Russian President, Vladimir Putin. On November 12, the parties approved  a program for the formation of a common social and economic space between Russia and Abkhazia on the basis of harmonization of the legislation of Abkhazia and the Russian Federation. The program is aimed at creating favourable conditions for the full participation of Abkhazia in integration processes initiated or supported by Russia.

Aslan Bzhania meeting with Dmitry Kozak, responsible for the direction of Abkhazia. Source:  Web-page of the de facto president of Abkhazia

Military Exercises

The Southern Military District of the Russian Federation

In 2021, military servicemen of the Southern Military District of the Russian Federation will take part in dozens of planned international exercises. Armenia, Algeria, Egypt, India, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, and Turkey will also participate in joint military exercises. The de facto armed forces of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region will also be involved in the exercises.

Military exercises at the 7th military base in Abkhazia

  • The beginning of a new academic year was marked at the military base. Improving the preparedness of all categories of military servicemen was named as a priority of the winter military exercises.
  • Military servicemen exercised to eliminate illegal armed formations. As part of the exercise, servicemen seized a conditional military settlement occupied by “terrorists.”
  • • Soldiers trained in combat shooting. The personnel of the unit developed elements of the production of general-military combat, as well as defense and attack tactics.
  • Military servicemen exercised in combat shooting.  Several units worked out the combined arms tactics, as well as defensive and offensive strategies.

Other news from the 7th military base

  • Psychologists tested the fall 2020 call-up recruits.
  • Recruits started an intensive course of individual training in mountainous, wooded and coastal terrain.
  • Conscripts of the fall 2020 call-up took the military oath at the military base.

Military exercises at the 4th military base in the Tskhinvali region

  • Artillerymen and units of the de facto armed forces of the Tskhinvali region exercised in combat shooting.
  • Grenade launchers exercised to destroy tanks of a conditional enemy.
  • Snipers completed a special course on countering artillery spotters.

Other news from the 4th military base

  • RCB (radiation, chemical, biological) protection specialists completed disinfection of social infrastructure in the Tskhinvali region.
  • Tankmen of the military base started preparations for the 7th International Army Games (АрМИ-2021).
  • Conscripts of the military base took the military oath.

A detailed review of the activities of the Russian Military forces in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region in December 2020 can be found here.

Cooperation in the Field of the Economy

Moscow and Tskhinvali will jointly control the movement of goods at the de facto border

Moscow and Tskhinvali agreed to jointly control the movement of goods and vehicles at the de facto border. The agreement is aimed at minimizing customs barriers. Joint control is being exercised at the Kvemo Zaramagi checkpoint since December 30. The problem has long been associated with the import of goods from Russia into the Tskhinvali region, in particular, entrepreneurs in the Tskhinvali region are required to declare and execute documents in accordance with the customs rules of the Eurasian Economic Union.

The integration of Abkhazian and Russian payment systems has been completed

According to the de facto National Bank of Abkhazia Russian citizens in Abkhazia in 2020 were actively using cards of the Russian payment system Mir. In 2020, transactions with the Mir cards totaled RUB 1.2 billion, three times exceeding the 2019 data. The integration of the payment systems of Mir and the Abkhazian APRA is also completed, which allows residents of Abkhazia to use the APRA “World” payment cards outside Abkhazia. In 2020, APRA cardholders spent RUB 40 million in Russia, 20 times exceeding the last year data. APRA “World” cardholders made transactions in 170 cities of Russia.

APRA “World” payment card. Source:  Web-page of the de facto National Bank of Abkhazia

Cooperation in the Field of Agriculture

Russian delegation pays a visit to Abkhazia

A meeting between representatives of the agricultural sector of Abkhazia and Russia was held at the de facto government of Abkhazia. The meeting focused on issues such as the cultivation of gardens, the development of livestock, training of young specialists and personnel qualification.

A record number of Abkhazia tangerines exported to Russia

According to Beslan Jopua, the de facto Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Agriculture of Abkhazia, from 1000 to 1900 tons of tangerines are exported from Abkhazia to Russia daily. As of December 22, Russia has exported 32.8 tons of tangerines, a record number since 1993. In 2019, 9.4 thousand tons were exported, and in 2018 - 13.8 thousand tons.

Cooperation in the Field of Healthcare

House of Moscow handed over medical equipment to the village of Pskhu

The House of Moscow, located in Sokhumi, handed over medical equipment to the mountainous village of Pskhu in Abkhazia. Wheelchairs, crutches, special mattresses, automated blood pressure monitors and more were delivered to the outpatient clinic of Pskhu.

Field hospital in Tskhinvali completed its work

On December 17, a multidisciplinary mobile hospital of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, deployed in Tskhinvali in late October, completed the work. The hospital treated a total of 192 people and performed 2,249 PCR or laboratory tests since the start of the work.

Tskhinvali region will receive RUB 80 million from Russia to fight the coronavirus

The Russian government allocated RUB 79.7 million from its reserve fund to fight the coronavirus in the Tskhinvali region. The funds will be used to purchase medicines and special equipment, as well as pay salaries of medical staff.

Russia donated 45 thousand test systems to Abkhazia

The Rospotrebnadzor donated 45 thousand  test systems to the Sanitary Epidemiological Station of Abkhazia for diagnosing the coronavirus infection. 15 thousand test systems have already been delivered to the de facto republic and the rest will be handed over later.

Cooperation in the Field of Education

The de facto Minister of Education and Language Policy of Abkhazia, Inal Gablia, signed an agreement on cooperation with the Director of Belgorod State Technological University, Sergey Bulgakov. The cooperation involves interaction in the fields of education, science and culture. At the meeting, special attention was paid to the training of engineers.

Cooperation in Various Fields

A working group of the Russian Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media paid a visit to Abkhazia. According to the Russian delegation, the transition to digital broadcasting will take about two years. The Abkhaz and Russian sides jointly monitored TV towers and TV centres. Technical issues related to network design as well as training of specialists were discussed at the meeting.

Russian “Soft Power”

Within the framework of the Russian Language Russia's Federal Program and with the support of the Russian “embassy,” the Rossotrudnichestvo office in the Tskhinvali region:

  • handed over up to ten thousand textbooks to the de facto Ministry of Education of the region.
  • handed over educational and methodological literature, as well as works of children writers to educational institutions. In total, more than 1,500 books were donated to the Akhalgori district school and kindergarten.
  • handed over textbooks to a school and a kindergarten in the village of Orchosani, the Akhalgori district. The Orchosani school was opened a few years ago with the support of the Russian investment program. The Orchosani school has 70 students and the kindergarten – 30 children.

Handing over books to the village of Orchosani. Source:  Web-page of the Rossotrudnichestvo office in the Tskhinvali region